Applications now being accepted for ACMA’s Social Work Case Management Fellowship program

Applications are now being accepted for the American Case Management Association's (ACMA) 2013 Social Work Case Management Fellowship program. The Fellowship is governed and bestowed by ACMA in partnership with Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in Houston, Texas.

Memorial Hermann Healthcare System Care Management was the 2011 recipient of the Franklin Award of Distinction, awarded by ACMA and The Joint Commission for excellence in case management practice.

The Fellowship affords an MSW graduate with experiences and training in case management that will enhance their job marketability and career path in Hospital Case Management.

"Memorial Hermann is very pleased to support the Social Work Fellowship this year," says Pat Metzger , BSN, MHA, ACM, FABC, Chief of Care Management at Memorial Hermann Healthcare System. "As healthcare marches forward, the needs of the patients and communities we serve expand well beyond 'illness' and into transitions and coping. Social Workers are uniquely trained and qualified to support our patients and our organizations to face these challenges. The partnership among our communities, our patients and our case management teams is pivotal to survival. We are proud to be members of ACMA and to be able to give back to the case management community through our sponsorship of this program."

The Fellowship is a nine-month, hospital-based program that includes Hospital Case Management training, project work, multi-hospital exposure, research, professional membership in ACMA, a national conference speaking opportunity, and a case management model comparative study. The 2013 Fellowship will be conducted at Memorial Hermann Healthcare System under the direction of Kendal Allsop , LCSW, Supervisor, Community Outreach for Personal Empowerment (COPE) Program.

"I am excited to be a part of the ACMA Social Work Fellowship," says Mr. Allsop. "This is a great opportunity to promote social work's role in Hospital Case Management and highlight the role of clinical social work in the hospital setting. In a time when a great deal of discussion and change is taking place in medical care and delivery, I believe social work offers solutions and perspectives that advance overall healthcare. The ACMA fellowship is a wonderful vehicle to highlight this."

The Fellow will receive a stipend of $50,000 as their compensation during the fellowship. In addition, travel expenses related to site visits and conference attendance required by the Fellowship will be paid by ACMA.

"It is exciting to see the progression and development of the Fellowship program since its inception in 2010," says Sharon Mass , Ph.D., LCSW, ACM, ACMA President and Director of Case Management and Palliative Care at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Calif. "The program is important not only because it provides comprehensive training to social workers in hospital case management, but also because it promotes social work in the clinical setting and raises awareness regarding social work's key role in hospital case management. Memorial Hermann Healthcare System has an exceptional case management model, and I am confident the organization will provide a valuable experience for the Fellow."

The application deadline is March 4, 2013 at 5:00 PM CT, and the Fellowship recipient will be announced by April 5, 2013. There is no fee to apply.